


Incorrect Assumptions about Cardassian Gender Relations (An Opinion Piece by Gilora Rejal)

by nerdfishgirl



Series: Lizard Ladies [1]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Angst, Cay'en is Damar's wife, Gen, This is a combo story/opinion, Ulani only makes an appearance in passing btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9489869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdfishgirl/pseuds/nerdfishgirl
Summary: Gilora Rejal is a scientist at the Cardassian Ministry of Science. She is also tired of Federation assumptions about her people's culture. This piece is her attempt to correct some of those assumptions.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written by: Gilora Rejal, Lakarian City, Cardassia Prime, Cardassian Union, 2373  
> Edited by: Cay'en Damar, Cardassian Press Release Service.

Does NO ONE in the Federation take ANY cultural understanding courses? Do they EXIST? At this point I’m truly beginning to wonder if the much lauded “multicultural understanding” is a lie. I mean - I’m from one of the more ~~xenophobic~~ [redacted -replace with glorious] states of the Alpha Quadrant, and even I took several cultural education courses before beginning to travel outside the Cardassian Union.

First, there was that unfortunate incident with the engineer on Terok Nor. How was I supposed to no that he WASN’T flirting with me? Without ridges to help guide you its very hard to tell what someones true intentions are. Besides, on Cardassia, he would have needed me to help him advance up into the hierarchy of the Science Ministry, so it was very reasonable to think that he was flirting with me.

Then there’s the endless parade of Starfleet scientists who continue to ~~, in whispered tones, as if the Obsidian Order is going to come after them,~~ [redacted - they may be gone, but mention of their existence is not allowed in the press] express their condolences that I live in such a patriarchal state. I am afraid I can’t always prevent myself from revealing what I think of their stupidity.

Cardassia? Patriarchal? Hah! We’re a very egalitarian state.

Women run the government, the courts, and dominate the science, medical and engineering fields. We are naturally suited to such tasks, since we aren’t as emotional as men, and don’t let our anger run away with us. Men are far to impatient and inept at systems based thinking and multitasking to ever be good at science or engineering. They’re far better at secretarial work, where a sense of impatience can really help a man negotiate the government bureaucracy.

Their impatient anger, and their lack of empathy impedes them in government and courtroom work as well. You have to be able to understand others, and easily socially navigate a group in order to be good at politics, and most men simply can’t manage it. They get too hung up on their “cold logic”, and neglect to realize that politics isn’t logical, its emotional. Of course, since they certainly get angry and prideful often enough, one might think that they’d have figured emotional things out. And that’s without even mentioning that their sex drives get in the way of their political careers quite often - ~~I mean look at Gul Dukat!~~ [redacted - Gilora you’re very lucky I got assigned to proof this].

There are some men who take exception to this, and complain that the lower presence of men in the sciences and engineering is evidence of discrimination. It’s not, of course, its not like in the early days of the Union, ~~before we’d gotten rid of all the beliefs of the Oralian Way,~~ [redacted - Gilora you can’t just mention the Way in a Federation publication, you know that!] when men were forbidden from entering the universities. The issue isn’t that men are discriminated against, its that they just aren’t as suited to being scientists and engineers. There are always men who are an exception to this, of course - but they’re rather few and far between.

Men, on the other hand, with their higher levels of aggression and physical strength, are ideally suited to serve in the military and at jobs requiring more physical labor, such as farming or mining work. Unfortunately, these jobs are more dangerous - but most men don’t seem to mind. They like the sense of excitement that the danger provides - it gets their blood pumping and satisfies all those manly urges to be the hero, although it also means that far too many women end up mourning one of them.

So, you see, Cardassia is perfectly egalitarian. Each sex performs the roles its best at doing. And, if some men are actually good at science or at government, ~~like Kotan Pa’adar,~~ [redacted - are you TRYING to get arrested Gilora?] they’re free to work through the hierarchy like everyone else. The same goes for women, such as Gul Ocett, who choose to join the military.

The only thing in our society that could be considered remotely sexist are that a woman takes her husbands last name, and that was introduced primarily to fight the sexism that existed early in the days of the Union. It also makes the clerical work more efficient, which is why we’ve kept that tradition.

Both men and women are expected to be fertile, if they wish to be bound. After all, having many children produces a large and glorious family, and serves the Union. That’s another reason women are perfectly suited to governing - they must shape and mold a child’s life - so shaping and molding the life of the Union, is but a larger version of that duty. Because women are more necessary for raising children, it makes sense for them to control politics and science from home, while the men risk their lives to protect our borders.

 ~~The only problem that has arisen in recent years, is that men have taken control of politics. They simply aren’t suited to it, and the Central Command has made a mess of everything. Dukat in particular has made this new disastrous alliance with the Dominion, and I would surprised that his wife let him get away with it, if I didn’t already know about his dalliances with the Bajorans.~~ [redacted - GILORA DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?]

But, although this remains an issue, in general, the Cardassian Union is egalitarian in its gender roles.

 

_Gilora,_

_Are you alright? You couldn’t have known that your old school mate would be the one to read this, and things you’ve written are woefully inaccurate. If anyone else had read it, they would told you to just kill it. I know that things haven’t been easy, and I know you miss your family. The Klingon attacks on the Union have hit us all hard. But writing ridiculously inaccurate letters to have them killed by the editors - its not what your family would have wanted. Honor them Gilora and keep on going. Is Ulani still working at the Lakarian’or Center? If she isn’t, or you just need someone else to talk to , I’m only a comm link away._

_Your friend, Cay’en_

 

_Cay’en,_

_Thank you for bringing the errors in this document to my attention. I appreciate your discretion in notifying me of them. Ulani is in the Chin’toka system, thus I was left without a more level head to guide me in writing this. I have been unable to reach her via the comm link due to the nature of the project. Thank you for your offer - it would be good to see your face again after all this time. I believe it would simply be best for this document to remain unpublished for now. In any case, the current political situation makes it unlikely that any Federation press would accept it._

_Gilora_

 

Note: Found on a data crystal located in the ruins of the Lakarian’or Science Ministry dormitory, 2376.


End file.
